Wire straightener or shaper



July 20, 1948. G. FORSMAN 2,445,615 WIRE STRAIGHTENER 0R SHAPE-R Filed Nov. 4, 1944 P3 22 26 24 E E /2/ 26 24 3/ Garza/d fo rsmaw Mi ne, @m%%w 1 59.3). 33.5129

Patented July 20, 1948 WIRE 'STRAIGHTENER R SHAPER Gunard'Forsman, Worcester, Mass. assignor to Johnson Steel &.Wire Company, Inc., Worcester, Masa, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 4, 1944, Serial No. 561,953

Z'Claims. (Cl. 140-148) The present; invention relates to wire working machinery of the type in which wire or other stock is straightened, or otherwise shaped, by passage between cooperating rolls. In a wire straightener, for example, the wire or other stock is drawn between two rows of staggered rolls so arranged that the wire is subjected to a multiple flexing operation by being bent first in one direction and then in another as it contacts with Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a roll and bearing assembly removed from its supporting block.

Fig. is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a modified form of roll mounting.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the invention is shown for purposes of illustration as being embodied in a wire straightener of the same general character disclosed in the aforementioned Johnson patent, wherein blocks the successive rolls. in i and 2 each carries a row of straightening rolls 3, In wire working machinery of the above inwith the rolls of one row being staggered with dicated type, it is important that the rolls should respect to the rolls of the other row, and with always be capable of turning freely, otherwise the the rows of rolls 3 having a slightly overlapping wire will have a sliding instead of a rolling con relation. As the wire l or other stock to be tact therewith, a condition which is undesirable. l5 straightened is drawn between the two rows of Heretofore, it has been proposed to mount the rolls 3, it is subjected to a flexing action, as is spindles for the rolls in ball bearings located usual in wire straighteners of this type. The above and below the roll pass in order to insure roll-carrying blocks i and 2 are adjustably that each roll is freely rotatable, such an arrangemounted on a bed 5, as later described, so that the -ment being shown, for examplein Johnson patblocks may be adjusted toward and away from ent No. 2,307,133, issued January 5, 1943, for a each other to var the degree oi'ilexing, and the Wire straightener. I present invention contemplates an improved The object of the present invention is to promounting of the rolls 3, so that each roll will alvide a wire straightener or shaper of the above ways be freely rotatable and thus have a rolling indicated type, in which each individual roll concontact with the wire i. stitutes the outer race of a ball bearing, with the As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, each roll 3 is inner race of the bearing being so mounted that an integral part of a ball bearing assembly, in it is positively held against turning; consequently, which the outer race 6 provides a peripheral free rotation of the roll surface is always insured groove 1 for receiving the wire i which is to be as the wire passes through the straightener in 3Q straightened. A series of balls 8 is confined by a contact with the roll. A further object of the suitable cage 9 between the outer ball race 6 and invention is to provide an improved unit mountan inner ball race iii, and the invention conteming for the roll and bearing assembly which will plates the mounting of the bearin e ly 50 permit each roll to adjust itself at right angles that the outer race 5 will always be free to roto the direction of movement of the wire being tate, while the inner race it] is held stationary; straightened, so that all the rolls of both rows -To this end, each combined roll and ball bearare capable of axial self-alinernent with respect to t; a y is mounted a Spindle l i providing the wire, to obtain a maximum straightening efa shank I2 slidabl received in an opening-i3 fect without offering too much resistance to pas-- provided in a block i or 2. The shank; ,iS sage of the stock being straightened. The above fo d wit n e ed head it normally restand other advantageous features of the invention 01112118 p of associated block T 2. will hereinafter more fully appear from the foland this head M provides a reduced shoulder iii lowing description with reference to the accomhaving a diameter substantially the same as the panying drawing, in which: outside diameter of an inner ball race i6.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a wire straightener 5 e ba ea i sem y constitutin eac embodying the present invention, with portions ll 3 i pt d to e m un e on a pin e H being broken awa to better show the construcby means of a Stud l5 extending freely through tion. the opening Illa in the center of the inner ball Fig. 1a is an enlarged plan view of an individual race l see 4, d n a d engagement roll and bearing. with an opening i1 extending axially of the Fig. 2 is an end view of the device shown in spindle H. Therefore. when the stud I6 is Fig. 1. screwed down into the, spindle ii, its head lfia Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of will engage the inner ball race it] and serve to Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale, looking in the diclamp the race firmly against the shoulder 15 rection of the arrows.

to thereby hold the race against turning. Since the shoulder I serves to space the remainder of the roll assembl away from the spindle head I4.

,the outer race 6 is always capable of free rotation on the ball 8; consequently the wire I will engage the groove 1 of the roll 3 only in rolling contact.

As previously pointed out, a further object of the invention is to insure that each roll 3 is capable of movement at right angles to the general line of movement of the wire being straightened, and obviously the sliding fit of the shank I2 of each spindle II in the corresponding block opening I3 will permit of such movement by the associated roll 3. However, in order to prevent turning of an entire roll and spindle assembly within a block opening I3, which would nullify the action of the ball bearing, each spindle II provides means for looking it against turning with respect to its supporting block I or 2.

As best shown in Fig. 3, and in the broken away portion of Fig. 1, each spindle opening I3 provides a slot I8 extending through the wall of the opening and of sufllcient width to freely receivea pin I9 projecting laterally from the shank I2 of a spindle. The pin I9 is inserted in a slot I3 when positioning a roll and spindle assembly, such as is shown in Fig. 4, and with spindle head I4 resting on the top of the associated block, the pin I9 will .be positioned substantially midway of the slot.

Therefore, when the two rows of rolls 3 are assembled as shown in Fig. 2, all the roll grooves I will lie in substantially the same plane. However, as the wire 4 is drawn between the two rows of rolls as shown in Fig. 1, the rolls 3 in addition to their free rotation on the bearing balls will also be free to shift at right angles to the line of movement of the wire, in order to compensate for any surface irregularities of the wire with respect to the common plane of the grooves I. Such self-alinement of the rolls along their respective axes of rotation results in the straightening action being performed on the wire without appreciable jamming, and the resulting application of a pulling force such as might tend to break the wire during its passage through the straightener.

As previously pointed out, the roll-carrying blocks I and 2 are adjustably mounted on the bed 5, so that the blocks may be moved with respect to each other to vary the degree of flexing imparted to the wire 4. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the block I is retained in position "on the bed 5 by means of clamping screws 20 that pass through slots 2| in the block, with the block being adjustable on the bed at right angles to the wire 4 by means of adjusting screws 22 which are threaded through lugs 23 provided by the bed 5. The screws 22 are adapted to bear on the outside of the block I, and the adjusting screws 22, together with the clamping screws 20, .provide conveniently operated means for setting and clamping the block I in any desired adjusted position with respect to the line of movement of the wire 4.

The other roll-carrying block 2 provides means for adjusting and clamping the same similar to the means described above with reference to the block I, with the adjusting and clamping screws being indicated by the same reference characters 22 and 20. The block I is also shown as being provided with a positioning screw 24 at each end, which is threaded into an extension 25 of the block and engages the inner face of the block 2. These screws 24 serve to limit the adjusting movement of the blocks toward each other,

4 each positioning screw 24 providing a lock nut 23 to assist in retaining the block in its adjusted position.

With the block adjusting arrangement described above, it is obvious that the blocks I and 2 may be adjusted bodily with respect to each other. so as to closely determine the degree of overlap between the two rows of rolls 3 with respect to the line of movement of the wire or other stock being subjected to a straightening action .by .pas-

sage between the rolls 3. By such adjustment, the degree of flexing which the wire receives is accurately controlled, and the previously described individual mounting of the several rolls 3, as units, is in no way disturbed by adjustment between the blocks I and 2. That is to say, each roll unit, comprising the ball bearing assembly and the spindle, is adapted to support each roll surface for free rotation about the spindle axis.

Furthermore, each roll is self-aligning with respect to the plane of the roll pass, so that the wire receiving grooves I are capable of adjustment with respect to each other, in order to accommodate the rolls to surface irregularities of the wire in any adjusted relation between the blocks I and 2.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that by the present invention there is provided an improved construction for wire straighteners of the sta gered roll type. characterized by the fact that each individual roll is always freely rotatable about its bearing axis, while at the same time is capable of self-alinement along this axis, so as to accommodate the roll to surface irregularities of the stock. The net result is the procurement of a maximum straightening effect, without excessive strains on the rolls and without jamming of the stock between the rolls.

' Referring now to Fig. 5, there is shown a modifled construction wherein the roll spindle is supported above and below the roll, so as to more evenly distribute the load placed on the spindle as a result of the wire straightening or shaping operation performed on the wire. In this modified construction, the inner race 21 is rigidly mounted on the spindle 28 by means of a tight force fit. The ends of the spindle 28 are slidably received in openings 29 provided in a pair of spaced supporting arms 30, with the normal position of the rolls 3a between the arms 30 being determined by a collar 3| bearing on the lower arm.

The opening 29 in the lower arm 30 which receives the lower end of the spindle 28 provides a vertical slot 32 for receiving a pin 33 projecting from the side of the spindle. The function of the pin 33 is the same as that of the pin I3 in the ipreviously described construction, namely to prevent turning of the spindle about its axis, while periphery of a second roll 3b mounted in the same manner, so that wire or other stock entering the pass between the rolls 3a and 3b will have its cross section altered to conform to the shape of the groove 34 provided'in the periphery of the first roll 3a. Obviously, with the rolls 3a and 3b thus functioning as shaping rolls, the support of the roll spindles 23 aboveand below the roll pass by the 5 arms it will serve to better distribute the load on the spindles than would be the case with the roll spindles supported in a single block, as described with reference to Fig. 3.

I claim:

1. A wire straightener comprising, a base providing a pair of opposed series of bores, the bores of one series being spaced in staggered relation with the bores of the other series, a spindle mounted within each of said bores so as to be capable of free axial movement therein, means for holding each spindle against rotation within its associated bore, and a plurality of roll assemblies between oppositely spaced pairs of which a wire is drawn, each of said roll assemblies being mounted upon a respective one of said spindles, with each such assembly including an inner race secured rigidly upon a spindle, anti-friction elements carried on said inner race, an outer race rotatably mounted upon said anti-friction elements, and a peripheral groove formed about said outer race for receiving and guiding the wire, each of said spindles being adapted to be shifted axially within its bore, in response to thrusts set up by said wire upon the sides of said groove.

2. A wire straightener comprising. a pair of blocks, each of said blocks providing a series of bores therein and being disposed relative to the other block so that the'bores of one series are spaced in staggered relation with the bores of the other series, means for adjusting said blocks back and forth relative to each other. a spindle mounted within each of said bores so as to be capable of free axial movement therein, means including a mating pin and slot construction for holding each spindle against rotation within its associated bore, and a plurality of roll assemblies between oppositely spaced pairs of which a wire is drawn, each of said roll assemblies being mountedupon a respective one of said spindles. with each such assembly including an inner race secured rigidly upon aspindle, anti-friction elements carried on said inner race, an outer race rotatably mounted upon said anti-friction elements, and a peripheral groove formed about said outer race for receiving and guiding the wire. each of said spindles being adapted to be shifted axially within its bore in response to thrusts set up by said wire upon the sides of said groove.

Qumran r'onswm.

sameness crran The following references are of record in the ilie of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS I Date Illrner Feb. 13. 1945 

